Fred Couples returning to Calgary for Shaw Charity Classic

Jefferson Hagen, Calgary Herald07.16.2014

Fred Couples studies his shot on the 17th hole during Round 2 of the Shaw Charity Classic at the Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club last year. The tournament announced he is returning again this August.

Fred Couples rarely commits to a golf tournament six weeks in advance.

So it’s obvious that he has taken a shine to Calgary’s Shaw Charity Classic.

Organizers announced Wednesday that the popular American player known as ‘Boom Boom’ will be returning as a headliner for the Aug. 27-31 Champions Tour tourney at Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club.

“That’s good for us to get the marquee player on the Champions Tour to join us,” said tournament director Sean Van Kesteren. “We’re thrilled to get a firm commitment from him six weeks out, which is great — which is actually a little uncommon for Freddie — but he had such a great time last year and enjoyed the experience, so he said, ‘guys, I’m coming. Put me down.’

“He hasn’t played much over the last month and a half or so, so he’s getting rested up and he’ll be here in August. We’re excited.”

Couples has 10 Champions Tour wins since joining the circuit in 2010 and has long been one of the most popular golfers on the planet.

“I really enjoyed playing up in Calgary last year, so I’m looking forward to getting back to the Shaw Charity Classic this summer,” said Couples in a statement. “This was one of the top events on Tour last year. The crowds were huge, the golf course was in great shape and we were able to raise some significant money for the wonderful youth charities in the area.

“I hope the community comes out to support the tournament this year and I know the players will put on another great show.”

Couples adds his name to an already stacked field, which is set to be one of the best on the tour this season, a group of 81 players, which so far includes Steve Elkington, Fred Funk, David Frost and defending champion Rocco Mediate.

“It’s actually going to be stronger than last year,” noted Van Kesteren of the field. “We mentioned a couple of names that we’re already announced a little while ago. Some of the guys who didn’t come last year: Bernhard Langer, Mark Calcavecchia . . . Kenny Perry, which is another top player, he didn’t come last year. So those are the three main guys that didn’t join us last year that are joining us this year.

“We’re going to have some nice announcements over the next couple weeks as well, some guys turning 50, some notable names.”

From that, we can only speculate, but some players who’ve recently turned 50 include Davis Love III, Scott Verplank, Joe Durant, Paul Goydos and Kevin Sutherland. Additionally, two-time U.S. Open champion Lee Janzen turns 50 on the Thursday of Shaw Charity Classic week.

Calgary’s Stephen Ames has previously said his position in the FedExCup points race on the PGA Tour will determine whether or not he plays in Calgary at end of August or at the PGA Tour event the same week, the Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston.

As of this moment, Colin Montgomerie — who won the U.S. Senior Open last week after also winning the Senior PGA Championship in May — is unlikely to play in Calgary because he’s the defending champion at the European Senior Tour’s Travis Perkins Masters, set for the same week in Woburn, England.

“He might change his mind, you never know, because he just won the U.S. Senior Open and he’s doing well in the Charles Schwab Cup points race as well, so you never know,” said Van Kesteren.

CHIP SHOTS . . . Canadian bobsled star and former Calgary Stampeder Jesse Lumsden won the Shaw Charity Classic ‘Shootout at the Meadows’ on Wednesday, besting 23 other celebrities in a closest to the pin contest . . . Title sponsor Shaw announced Wednesday that rock icons Randy Bachman and Fred Turner will be joined by Canadian band The Sheepdogs in a free concert, in conjunction with the tournament, at Shaw Millenium Park on Aug. 28. Tickets are available for the all-ages concert starting Friday by visiting shaw.ca/concert.

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